Port Dalhousie has undergone several transformations since it came into existence on the southern banks of Lake Ontario nearly two centuries ago.

As the terminus of the first three Welland canals, built in 1820, 1845 and 1889, it grew into a thriving port village.

It has evolved over time from bustling marine port to tourist destination to a residential/commercial area, weathered several economic downtowns and became part of the city of St. Catharines.

During warm weather months, visitors of all ages come during the day to enjoy its beach, boutique shops, cafés and ice cream shops, but after dark it became a noisy hangout for bar-hopping college students and bikers.

Now several of the bars have been closed as the next transformation begins, bringing an ambitious mixed-used waterfront development that will preserve key heritage elements while adding upscale condo suites, 35,000 square feet of retail-commercial space, a theatre and boutique hotel.

It’s taken eight years for the Port Place project to come to fruition as it met with controversy, inched through the approval process and was subject to an Ontario Municipal Board hearing.

Two years ago, the original Port Dalhousie Vitalization Corp. (PDVC) partners planned to launch, but the project presented construction hurdles due to the underground parking area that would go below the water table.

They brought in Derek Martin of Landform Canada Construction, who is experienced in bridge building and other major construction projects, including the bobsled track for the 2010 Winter Olympics in Whistler, B.C., as well as highrises in Ottawa. He bought PDVC from the original partners last year.

“I like a challenge,” claims Martin, a native of Labrador who now lives in Acton. On a hot summer day, Martin provided a tour of the site from his speedboat and pointed out Toronto’s skyline glittering in the distance. “Port Place is the largest private development in Niagara in the last 25 years and will be the only multi-component development on the waterfront between Burlington and Buffalo.”

Harvard-trained architect Michael Kirkland of the Kirkland Partnership of Toronto was recruited to design the tower, which offers generous expanses of glass and large balconies and is set adjacent to the marina. Toronto designer Alex Chapman of Union31 is handling suites and common area design duties.

Sales have been launched for the 80 condo units in the 17-storey tower, with prices ranging from $349,900 for a 565-square-foot suite to $3 million for a 3,000-square-foot penthouse. Average suite size will be 1,100 square feet with average prices of about $700,000.

The suites are catering to the end user market, says Martin. The suites have been named after prominent local wineries.

“It’s waterfront pricing and there’s not much waterfront available in the Golden Horseshoe,” points out Brian Tilley, vice president of sales and marketing for PDVC. He points out that downtown Toronto is just an hour away by car — or half an hour by boat — and the Buffalo international airport is just a 30 minute drive.

Port Dalhousie is in the heart of Niagara wine country. Just a short drive away are many wineries that offer tours, tastings and fine dining rooms; and the area has an abundance of golf courses.

The project will be an asset for Port Dalhousie, Tilley says.

“It’s going to bring residential to the waterfront and bring tourism to the area with the theatre, the hotel and commercial space, so it really will become a year-round destination,” says Tilley. “A lot of local businesses only operate as summer businesses currently.”

Since the launch for pre-registrants, about 30 per cent of the units sold with sales now open to the public.

While every suite will have a view, a fifth-floor rooftop terrace will provide panoramic views of the Lake Ontario shoreline.

Buyers will enjoy more than stellar views of the lake. They’ll be at the heart of the action for the famous annual Royal Canadian Henley Regatta on Martindale Pond, and for the 2015 Pan Am Games rowing competitions.

Port Place overlooks Lakeside Park’s antique carousel, one of the largest remaining Looff carousels, with 69 animals including lions, goats, giraffes, and camels. The historically designated carousel was built in 1903 by the Charles I.D. Looff Company, of Riverside, R.I., and each animal was hand carved. Rides are still five cents each.

Boutique shops and restaurants are a short walk from the project, including the renowned Treadwell Farm to Table Cuisine, considered to be one of the best restaurants in Ontario. Chef Stephen Treadwell won the 2012 Gold Award, Chef of the Year from the Ontario Hostelry Institute.

At the heart of the development will be a public square surrounded by fashionable shops, outdoor patios and a mix of restaurants will help energize the waterfront. In winter, the square will provide an outdoor skating rink.

The 104-room hotel will incorporate the preserved facade of the Austin Hotel and, at the entrance of the condominium building, will sit another historic relic: the tiny 1845 stone jail that is one of the oldest in Canada.

As part of the OMB approval, the entire project will be constructed at once. Tilley says depending on sales, construction could start as early as fall.

Not yet released for sale will be 15 townhouses, known as the Harbour Towns, which will sit atop the commercial space and have prime views. They’ll be joined to the condominium tower by a glass bridge.

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